The dreaded carbon copy
When sending out product pitches, it is important to up your game. We receive more emails than we can answer so we must be selective. A quick way to turn me off is by sending a generic mass-email to a dozen publications, all at the same time.
If I get an email with 11 other publications CC’d, I’m not going to pay it any attention.
Know who you’re talking to
When sending an email — en masse or individually — try your best to personalize it. Don’t send “Dear sir or madam” as the intro because it clearly feels generic and comes off as a shotgun tactic sent to as many people as possible. Know the editors name that you are reaching out to, and — importantly — get that name right.
It can quickly turn someone off when you get a pitch email and a copy paste error ends up with an email addressed to the entirely wrong person. If you send me an email addressed to “Jared,” I’m going to form the opinion that you are a bit insincere.
The same holds true for the publication name. Make sure capitalizations are correct as well as spacing. Is it AppleInsider or Apple Insider? Is it TechRadar or Tech Radar? (FYI — it is the former on both!)
Don’t get too excited
I know you want to get your product out there, but don’t pester us with the same pitch multiple times. It is one thing to follow up an initial pitch checking in, but it is another just to continuously send the same pitch email time after time.
Yes, this is a thing that happens and it is frustrating and doesn’t make me any more eager to provide coverage for your product.
Find the right audience
Ok. You’ve decided to send a personalized email and double checked the name. You are ready to send off the email — but before you do, ensure that the publication is relevant. This is also far too common in our industry. Pitches are sent out en masse without understanding the publication or being sure that they are even tangentially relevant to your product.
I work for a tech publication, yet I get pitches for blankets, rock climbing safety gear, and water sanitizing devices. These sound great! But are in no way relevant to my publication or what we would ever cover.
Doing this wastes our time, clutters our inbox, and can even put us off from your brand rather than wanted to cover it.
Don’t craft a bad email
The final worst way to pitch me on your product is with a crummy email. We’re talking bad graphics, ill-formatted text, copious spelling mistakes, or bad grammar. If someone doesn’t spend a few moments to proofread their text, not fill it with spam-filter flagging graphics, and format their text correctly, how seriously are they taking their product?
A well-designed email can be everything in a pitch. That includes the subject line, the images, the introduction, etc. If all that looks shoddy, I’ll associate that with your product. Not a good PR image to have.
Claire Rocawich
Senior Account Director
Claire Rocawich is a seasoned public relations & marketing specialist with 10+ years of PR agency experience supporting national and global technology, design, travel, and tourism and hospitality brands, including Jarden Consumer Solutions (WeMo connected home products, Mr. Coffee, Crock-Pot, etc.), Roland Corporation, Miami Beach Visitor & Convention Authority, Native Union, InterContinental Hotels Group, and more.
Claire joined Max Borges Agency in 2015 and serves as a Senior Account Director for the Client Consulting practice, where she focuses on client strategy development and account management.
Claire’s communications work has been instrumental in securing editorial coverage in top-tier national and international media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Washington Post, USA TODAY, Forbes, Inc., VOGUE, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Good Housekeeping, O, The Oprah Magazine and more.
Claire has a passion for fashion and interior design and resides in her native Miami with Kiedis, her English bulldog aptly named after Red Hot Chili Pepper rocker Anthony Kiedis.
